In the mid-1970s, Kamala Harris, currently serving as the Vice President of the United States of America, lived in the city of Montréal. These five formative years from 1976 to 1981 had a significant impact on shaping Kamala’s life. Here, we will delve into the Montreal days of Kamala Harris and how these years contributed to forming her identity and belief system that impacts her political career and worldview.
Harris moved to Montreal with her mother Shyamala Gopalan and sister Maya in the mid-70s, post her parent’s separation. Her mother, a breast cancer scientist, got a teaching position at Jewish General Hospital and a research position at McGill University Faculty of Medicine. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris attended Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, a public French-speaking school, and later graduated from Westmount High School.
The experience in Montreal offered Harris a multicultural milieu she thrived in, fostering a global citizen’s mindset. Among her peers from diverse backgrounds, she navigated through the nuances of cultural differences, which solidified her conviction in the expansive and inclusive idea of community.
Harris’ proficiency in French from her early education that continued in Montreal proved instrumental in facilitating her communication in this city. It shaped her into a versatile communicator, a skill indispensable in her spectacular political career that followed.
While thriving in a multicultural environment, Kamala also saw her mother, an immigrant woman of color, navigate through her career’s challenges. This exposure sharpened Kamala’s acuity for justice, equity and the need for better representation in all professional fields.
While Canada served as a geo-political backdrop for Kamala’s adaption and learning, the intimate realm of the household, the bond between Kamala, her sister, and her mother, also contributed in shaping her. The sisters’ relationship with their mother was a crucial element that played into Kamala’s making. Shyamala Gopalan was not just their mother, but a moral compass, an intellectual guide, and a model for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. The teaching she instilled about the importance of public service would later be one of Kamala’s guiding principles in her political endeavors.
The neighborhood of Montréal, from Notre-Dame-des-Neiges school to Westmount High, was consequential and held a significant role in Harris’s upbringing. Adapting to Quebec’s distinct style of life taught her versatility and resilience, which she carries on board in her political endeavors.
In essence, Kamala Harris’s five tumultuous years lived in Montréal provided her with unprecedented insights, experiences, and skills, consolidating her personal and professional foundation and shaping her into the political powerhouse that she is today.